Jacques Nienaber sets the record straight on not wanting to 'go back' to Boks

Nienaber joined the Irish province after leading the Boks to the Rugby World Cup title in 2023, signing a deal with the United Rugby Championship (URC) side until 2026.

That has left a window for him to potentially return to Rassie Erasmus' Springboks coaching team ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup, which many fans believe he will do.

However, Nienaber poured cold water over a possible comeback to international rugby for the time being on Monday when he was asked about his life at Leinster and coaching on a day-to-day basis.

He explained the difference between coaching a club team and an international side with the former providing a coach with a lot more creativity as they are given a lot more time with the players.

"I think it's two games. International rugby isn't as creative as club rugby, because you don't work as long with them," the Leinster coach explained.

"You only get them in a week before a test match. So you work one week with the players and then you go into a Test match. Obviously, the consequences like I mentioned, it's the country that loses.

"The consequences to your actions are a lot bigger than at club level, where at club level, if you lose a game, it's not written in history. If you lose a final, it's written in history but if you lose a match, it doesn't matter what Test match, it's written in history.

"So you miss that. That all-or-nothing aspect of it. That's the one side, but the side that I was keen on was the creativity side of things."

He later added: "I do miss it [Test rugby] in the one sense, but if you ask me â˜do you want to go back there now?' No, I don't want to go back there.

"I like the development that I'm currently, as a coach, experiencing and the stimulus that I'm getting currently at club level. That's why I wanted to leave international from a coach point of view. To just get exposure again at club level, because it's different."

Now, the former Springboks head coach has moved to clarify his quotes and the headlines they have created.

On social media platform X, formerly Twitter, he explained that right now, he is happy at Leinster and believes that it is the right place for him to test himself.

"Hey guys - was asked yesterday in media about life at Leinster and being a club coach day to day⦠but headlines can be misleading. It is absolutely the right time for me, my family and my coaching journey, and being tested daily, to be here now," his post read.

"But that is not to dismiss what I did before now, what I loved to do before now or to dismiss what might come down the line. But for now, I am happy here at Leinster. My full quotes reflect that. Not the headlines!"

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